Swedish Prosecutors to Try Two Men for Koran Burnings

Swedish prosecutors are set to put Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem on trial for burning the Koran in multiple incidents last year. The acts have provoked outrage in the Muslim world and increased the terrorism threat level in Sweden, with Denmark tightening laws against such actions.

Swedish prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they would put two men on trial for setting fire to the Koran in a series of incidents last year that caused outrage in the Muslim world and heightened fears of jihadist attacks.

The men are accused of committing "offenses of agitation against an ethnic or national group" on four separate occasions when they burned the Koran outside a mosque and other public places, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority. These actions led Sweden's domestic security service to raise the terrorism alert level, while neighboring Denmark, which also experienced Koran burnings, introduced legislation to outlaw the practice.

"Both men are prosecuted for having on these four occasions made statements and treated the Koran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith," Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio stated. Evidence against the men, identified as Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, included mainly video recordings. Najem denied any wrongdoing, his lawyer Mark Safaryan told Reuters. Momika's lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.

(With inputs from agencies.)